Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, but The Phil is mine.
Author's Note: Thank you to my reviewers and to my wonderful story editors Penmora Zenith, Musicallover, and Archeology101.
Chapter 50
False Impressions
Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Megan was glad she'd have another opportunity to wear the black Versace halter-dress Amir had surprised her with for Christmas, as well as her Farragamo heels. As she styled her hair up and applied her make-up, her mind wandered again to when she spied Joanna attempting to kiss Amir and his rebuffing her. This made her smile as she applied her lipstick. She knew Joanna wouldn't give up, but at least she knew that Amir had thought of her even in the face of Joanna's advances.
When it was eight, she heard a light knock at her door. Upon opening it, she saw Amir standing there looking nothing short of elegant, dressed in black with a white dress shirt and handkerchief layered with a black tie with a diamond stickpin. She thought he looked gorgeous.
Amir smiled and looked her over with obvious approval. "You look wonderful, darling," he said, and embraced her warmly. He escorted her downstairs and she saw that he had the Maybach tonight. Amir helped her in, and as they drove downtown, Megan found herself wondering what Amir's thoughts were now about Joanna. "What are you doing? You know I'm with someone." This thought comforted her, and she placed her hand on his thigh as he drove. He looked over at her and smiled.
"Are you all right, darling?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. How are you?" she returned.
"Couldn't be better," and he took her hand and brought it to his lips.
When they arrived at P3, Megan loved the romantic elegance that was everywhere. After checking her coat, they entered the restaurant where a hostess led them through the large room to their table. As they walked past the other diners, Amir noticed the envious looks of other men as they glanced at Megan, and he felt a quiet pride that she was his. After they took their seats at an elegant table, the hostess took their drink orders and left their menus.
"Thank you for bringing me here," Megan said as she admired the intimate setting. "It's so beautiful." She was amazed that it could feel so cozy when the room was so large and filled with diners.
"I'm glad you like it, cherie, and the food is excellent."
The waiter brought their drinks and took their orders, Amir ordering sea bass and Megan ordering the lobster. They conversed quietly about their day as they sipped their drinks.
"So how is Joanna getting along now with Victoria?" Megan asked conversationally.
Amir took a sip of his Manhattan. "Nothing's changed really. Victoria is afraid every time we get a new singer and has run off quite a few of them. I think I need to take a more active role in making sure we don't lose any more because of her."
"How active a role would you want to take?" She sipped her French Martini and looked at him across her glass.
"Whatever it takes to convince them that their best weapon is their voice. As long as they feel inferior to Victoria, she holds a power over them. But once they realize they're as qualified as she is, they're not as intimidated. Of course, she'll still try to intimidate, but by then, it's more for show."
Megan shook her head. "It seems like an awful lot of trouble just to stay on top. Do you think Joanna will be able to stick it out for the year?"
Amir pondered this for a moment. "I hope so. It's hard enough for someone from this country to put up with someone like Victoria, but Joanna doesn't have anyone, so it's just that much harder. Have you ever met her?"
Megan was surprised that he would ask this. "No, but I think I saw her in passing at the Christmas Gala. She's very beautiful."
"Yes, she's striking, and that's another reason Victoria's jealous. Joanna is beautiful and talented."
"I wonder how Christine will do if she gets hired after graduation?" Megan thought aloud.
Amir shook his head. "I don't even want to think about it. It'll take the pressure off of Joanna to be sure, but Christine may have it even harder because her voice is much more advanced. Victoria may feel like counting her days if Christine comes on board."
Their food arrived at that point and everything looked wonderful. Megan loved the presentation of her lobster but was somewhat surprised that there was much less meat than what she would have expected. Fortunately, their order came with several side dishes that helped to round out their meal.
After dinner, they shared a scoop of chocolate zabaglione topped with mixed berries. Amir enjoyed the dessert very much, but smiled as he noticed Megan concentrating on the chocolate. By the time she finished, Amir was grinning broadly as he dipped a corner of his napkin in water and gently wiped her mouth which had formed a ring of chocolate around her lips. When he finished, he kissed her tenderly and murmured, "My precious one…," and her heart melted.
When they had finished dessert, they left their table and Amir led her up the few steps to the next level which tonight featured a jazz trio. The music was again mellow and soothing, and there were some couples dancing. They found a comfortable table near the dance floor and enjoyed the relaxed ambiance. A cocktail waitress came to take their order and returned a few minutes later with their drinks.
Amir placed his hand over Megan's. "Are you happy, cherie?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm happy," she smiled, but she was uneasy. She knew Joanna wasn't going to stop, and during dinner, it seemed to her that Amir was distracted, despite his attempts to be attentive, and she wondered if it was because he was thinking of Joanna. Now you're jumping to conclusions. Get a grip.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked softly.
"I'd love to."
As they joined the other couples on the dance floor, Amir held her closely. Megan closed her eyes. She loved the feel of him against her, but she couldn't keep her mind from wandering. Can I imagine him with Joanna? Can I imagine him doing with her the things we've done? She had to remind herself that before she came along, Amir had dated countless women. It was all too easy to imagine him with other women, and the thought made her vaguely ill. Adding to it was the fact that there was really nothing she could do about it. Ultimately, it was Amir's choice alone.
"Darling, are you all right?"
Megan hadn't realized that Amir had been watching her closely. "Yes, why?"
"It just seemed like you weren't feeling well for a moment. Why don't we sit down for awhile?"
They returned to their table and enjoyed listening to the jazz trio for another hour before taking their leave.
As they drove away, Megan realized that Amir was taking her to his apartment. She didn't have a change of clothes, but she was glad she at least had a modicum of make-up supplies with her in her small purse.
After Amir parked the car in the gated parking garage under his building, he took her hand and quickly walked to the elevator which would take them up to his floor. As soon as the elevator doors closed and it started its ascent, she was surprised when Amir suddenly turned to her and began kissing and nuzzling her. She returned his kisses but thought it strange that he should suddenly become so amorous without warning. I know he's not drunk, I wonder what's gotten into him?
When the elevator stopped at their floor, Amir again took her hand and pulled her along as he made his way to his door, which he unlocked easily. As soon as they were on the other side, he locked it and led her quickly to the bedroom.
He'd already pulled off his tie and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt when they reached the bedroom and he turned to her and said, "Get undressed."
Megan couldn't understand the hurry…they had all night after all. As she began to take off her shoes and jewelry, she could see that Amir was already almost undressed. She was taking the pins out of her hair when she suddenly felt his hands on her, turning her around and quickly unzipping her dress and pulling it from her. It seemed he couldn't get her undressed fast enough as he tore her bra and panties off and began kissing her roughly, urgently, while pushing her backwards towards the bed.
"Amir, what…" Her words were cut off abruptly as he pushed her onto the bed and kissed her deeply, his hands everywhere. His kisses trailed heatedly from her lips to her neck and down to her chest and breasts until he moved down to her stomach and lower. She gasped as he parted her legs roughly and buried his face in the apex between her thighs and frantically began to tease and lick every part of her. Megan was surprise by his sexual frenzy for it seemed he couldn't arouse her passions fast enough. He quickly and expertly stimulated her and soon brought her to the edge of ecstasy before he brought himself up and forcefully thrust into her, causing her to cry out in surprise and moan from the wave of sensations now engulfing her. She was overcome by his pounding passion and felt herself momentarily lost within it before she felt her nerve endings catch and build rapidly until she exploded violently under him and cried out, writhing and spasming as he then exploded in his own orgasm, groaning with the effort and finally shooting his semen deep within her, pumping repeatedly until he was thoroughly spent.
When he was done, he rested on his elbows above her, breathing deeply. Megan was exhausted and her eyes were closed as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Amir kissed her gently before he moved off of her, and within minutes, Megan was sound asleep.
Amir laid next to her for awhile as he stared off into space, his arm over his forehead, thinking about the day…
He'd been trying to keep his distance from Joanna since the night before when he realized what a danger she posed to him. It had been hard enough to walk away from her when they'd been on the pier, but when she kissed him at her apartment, he realized then that he'd been trying to deny his feelings all along. But he was confused. Of all the women he'd been with, he'd never come anywhere close to love until Megan. Yet what was this he was now feeling for Joanna? He'd tried his best to maintain his professional conduct with her at all times, yet she seemed to know how to breach his protective barriers.
He had looked forward to taking Megan to P3 tonight and had enjoyed her company as he always did, but Joanna had been on his mind the entire night. He had tried to be attentive to Megan, but his thoughts would wander back to Joanna's kiss the night before. It had been incredible, unforgettable…
As he sat with Megan listening to the jazz band, his mind had begun imagining what it would have been like to touch Joanna, to feel her…to fuck her. His thoughts began to excite him and he had to leave. Megan had been confused by his amorous frenzy, but he was glad that she seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.
He wondered how much longer he'd be able to resist Joanna's advances. He was able to do so last night by a strength of will, and today because the curtain was about to go up in fifteen minutes, but what about the next time? He thought about his relationship with Megan. He'd never been so close to any woman in his life, and he imagined that he might even be in love with her. But what did he feel for Joanna? He was her employer, but she was pursuing him. Was his attraction to her purely physical, or could it be more? Was it worth risking his relationship with Megan?
His eyes were starting to grow heavy, and in a few minutes, he was also sound asleep. As the night wore on, he began to dream…
Megan awoke in the middle of the night, but she wasn't sure whether it was because she had to go to the bathroom or because of Amir's restlessness as he slept. In any event, she padded over to the bathroom and noticed how chilly it was since she hadn't bothered to put on a robe and she was naked. She thought about their evening together. It seemed like it had been awhile since they'd had mad sex like tonight, but she had enjoyed it. She'd never had a lover like Amir, and he never failed to excite her or to thoroughly appease her appetites.
When she returned to the bed, Amir was still restless and was mumbling incoherently. She thought she'd have some fun and see if he could talk to her in his sleep.
Laying next to him, she whispered seductively, "Amir…"
He mumbled some more and Megan stifled a giggle.
"Amir," she whispered again. "What are you dreaming of, darling?"
His mumbling seemed to quiet, so she closed her eyes as she pulled the covers back over herself. But before she drifted off to sleep, she heard one word whispered clearly…
"Joanna…"
Sunday
Roan was looking forward to taking Christine to brunch today since he didn't see or hear from her yesterday, and he wondered if Erik had spoken with her. He quickly mounted the stairs to her apartment and knocked. Christine answered fairly quickly and he gave her a warm hug and kiss in greeting.
"Hi, sweetheart. Ready for brunch?"
"I sure am, let's go!" Christine grabbed her sweater and purse and they made their way to his car. "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise, but I think you'll like it," he winked.
It took a few minutes to drive south through town, but as they merged onto the Pacific Coast Highway, Christine wondered how far they would go.
They spoke little as they drove southward, but merely enjoyed listening to a commercial-free station that was broadcast through the University of California, San Francisco campus.
Erik had just completed running an errand and was on his way back to the Phil when he saw Roan and Christine drive by. He wondered if they were on their way out of town since they were headed towards the PCH, or Pacific Coast Highway, and it turned out they were. He decided to follow them.
Roan enjoyed driving along the freeways of Northern California because they were never overly crowded like those in Southern California. Instead, the drives were scenic and leisurely, truly enjoyable. The day was pleasant, slightly overcast, but he could see in the distance, over the ocean, clouds that were predicted to bring rain in a day or two.
Christine was relaxed and listened to the radio as she would occasionally look out at the ocean. Roan was glad he could spend time with her today since he'd been occupied all day yesterday, but since his meeting with Erik on Friday, he wondered if Erik had already tried to contact her.
As he pondered this, he looked in his rearview mirror and saw an SUV behind him by about fifty yards. He normally would have ignored this but for the fact that half the driver's face appeared white. That's Erik Dupont, and he's following us!
Roan was livid and kept his eyes on him, deciding to get rid of him once and for all. Christine was oblivious to the drama about to unfold.
As they drove southward, they approached an area of the highway that passed a grouping of tall rock formations. There were several such groupings along the PCH, but these were by far the tallest and broadest. Roan pulled off the road and parked next to them, and as he and Christine got out, he took her hand and walked her to the side of the rocks that was hidden from the highway, facing the ocean.
"Look at that, you can see the storm clouds forming out there. Isn't it beautiful?" Roan looked out towards the horizon, a calm expression on his face. "If we were further south, we'd be able to see the Channel Islands, but at night, you can see the oil derricks lit up."
"Yes, it is beautiful. We're lucky to live in California. How did you ever know about this place?" Christine breathed in deeply, loving the smell of the salt on the waves. It was somewhat overcast, but not yet cold, and the air was still.
"My brother and I used to come out here and fish when we were younger. It was nice because no one knew about it and we'd be left alone all day. I love it here."
"I do, too," Christine smiled. "Thank you for sharing it with me."
Erik had parked his SUV on the other side of the rocks and had made his way around a rocky outcrop so he could see Roan and Christine clearly. It shielded him from the highway as well as from the couple now facing the ocean, and he could hear every word.
"I wanted to share something else with you, too." Roan took her hand gently as Christine stood near the rock wall. "Next week, I'd like to introduce you to my parents. We've been invited to dinner at their place."
Christine was surprised by this invitation. "Really? At your parents' house? Why?"
Roan was standing very close to her now as he looked at her. "Well, you're very special to me and they wanted to meet you. They've never invited any of my other girlfriends to dinner before, so they know you mean a lot to me. What do you say?"
Christine wasn't sure what to think. "Of course I'd love to meet your parents, but I don't want them to get the wrong impression. I mean, it's not like we were getting married or anything."
"They know we're nowhere near that yet, but they do know that you're very special to me, that's all. Besides, I'd love to show you off to them." He leaned his head down and kissed her deeply, embracing her so that she was pushed against the rock wall. He could smell her fresh clean scent, and the wonderful taste of her. The heady sensation of kissing her outdoors like this was wonderful, and he began to nuzzle her behind her ear and down her neck as his hands cupped her breasts through her clothes.
Christine was fast becoming aroused by Roan's unexpected advances, and she loved the romantic setting…hearing the ocean, feeling the fresh air, and smelling the salt from the sea…
Roan's hands had slipped under her sweater and he had moved her bra aside so he could feel her and suck her ruddy peaks, first one, and then the other. Christine gasped and moaned softly at the sensation of feeling the cool air against her skin, and then the warmth of Roan's lips on her breasts as she twined her fingers through his hair. His hands grabbed at her long skirt and pulled it up so he could pull her panties aside and feel her wetness. Yes…she was very wet, and that excited him.
He knelt before her so he could taste that wetness now, and Christine's moans became louder as he placed two of his fingers inside of her and moved them rhythmically back and forth as he sucked and teased her swollen clit. He did this expertly, and within moments, began to feel the telltale trembling that told him she was very close…
He unzipped his fly and released himself quickly from his trousers. He was already hard and his balls fit to bursting when he felt her on the verge of coming. He stood and forcefully impaled her as she cried out. He pumped her repeatedly against the rocks and could feel her explode under him as she cried out loudly, thrashing and writhing against him as he held her in place. He felt powerful holding her under him against the rock wall, fucking her, and Christine loved this feeling of being dominated by him, of being taken forcefully. When Roan had deposited the last of himself into her, they stood, still connected, as they leaned against the rock, and he kissed her tenderly.
Erik drove back to the city, and his heart was in his throat. He was breathing roughly as he remembered…he had seen and heard everything. He'd seen that boy fuck her, he'd seen him fuck her! And she seemed to be enjoying it… He slammed his fist against the seat next to him as he drove, his eyes tearing. He closed his eyes briefly as he tried to catch his breath. And I just saw her yesterday. I can't bear this alone…I can't...
He called an acquaintance as he drove back to town, and that was where he was headed now.
"Jesus, you look like hell."
"Fuck you. Do you have what I need?"
"Yeah, six, like you asked for. Old habits die hard, eh, old man? Sure you don't want something stronger? You look like you could use it."
"No. Here's $1,000. The extra is for your silence, as always."
"Thanks. Pleasure doing business with you."
When they'd returned to the car, they drove south for about ten more miles. Christine was feeling wonderful, and she placed her hand affectionately on Roan's thigh as they drove. Roan placed his own hand atop hers and smiled at her warmly. It had been exhilarating making love outdoors so close to the ocean, and he vowed they would do it again someday. He hoped they had put on a good enough show for Erik and was certain they had, especially when Christine cried out as she orgasmed. That had been perfect…
They soon came to the small town of Moss Beach and Roan drove down a narrow street that took them to the bluffs overlooking the Pacific until they came to the imposing Moss Beach Distillery. It was a large white wooden building that looked to be quite old, but very charming. Roan took her hand as they walked up to it from the parking lot and he briefly explained its history.
"The Distillery was built during the roaring 20's when the country was going through Prohibition, and it made quite a name for itself back then. A beautiful married woman was said to have come here to have an affair with the piano player, and when her estranged husband found out, he killed her on the beach below the restaurant, and her ghost now haunts the place waiting for her lover."
Christine was enchanted. "Wow, that's really romantic. How did he kill her?"
"He stabbed her to death. And you'll love the food here, it's excellent."
When they walked into the restaurant, the hostess showed them to a very nice booth by the window which had a spectacular view of the ocean, but Christine noticed that all the tables had a great view owing to the large windows facing west. It was surprisingly crowded despite its somewhat isolated location, yet it did nothing to detract from the old-fashioned charm. After receiving their beverage orders, they were invited to help themselves to the champagne brunch buffet.
As they stepped up to the food tables, Christine was duly impressed by the lavish spread as well as the fresh flowers that seemed to be everywhere. When they were seated back in their booth, she was pleased to see that in addition to her iced tea, there were also flutes of champagne, which came with their brunch.
"In all the years I've lived in San Francisco, I'm surprised that I've never been here. It's just fabulous!"
Roan smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'm glad you like it. My family used to vacation here just to get away for a little while without going too far. It's one of my favorite places." He took a sip of his champagne. "So, what did you do yesterday?" he asked casually.
"Well, I finally cleaned out my closet. You should come over and look at it, it's a thing of beauty," Christine smiled proudly.
"Did you happen to talk to Erik?"
Christine looked over at him, surprised. "As a matter of fact, I did. How did you know?"
"Did he call you?"
"Yes, he did."
He wasn't surprised. "So where did you talk?"
"I met him at the Japanese Tea Gardens."
Roan wondered what Erik might have said and tried to sound nonchalant. "So what did you guys talk about?"
Christine looked up at him and then back at her food. "That's personal."
Roan tried to sound reasonable. "As your boyfriend, I think I have a right to know what he said, don't you think?"
Christine felt like she'd been down this road before. "You mean like I have the right to know what you talk to your ex-girlfriends about? That right?"
Roan looked at Christine disapprovingly. "That's not the same thing."
She looked back at him. "Really? What's the difference?"
Roan was becoming a little frustrated at having to explain something that seemed so obvious. "I really don't like bringing sexism into this, but it looks like it's unavoidable. Since I'm the man, it's my job to protect you, and that's kind of hard to do that if I don't know what's going on."
Christine wasn't liking where this conversation was going. "There's nothing going on, and what is it that you're trying to protect me from?"
"From Erik Dupont! He'd like to break us up and take you away from me!"
Christine looked at him and then took a sip of her iced tea. "Yes, he did say that he wanted me back, but don't you think I have some say in this? Don't you think it's my decision if I want him to take me away?"
Roan was starting to get upset. "Of course it's your choice! It's always been your choice! But…I don't want to lose you!" He had seemed angry initially, but seemed to deflate as he whispered hoarsely, "I can't lose you, Christine. Excuse me…"
He placed his napkin on the table as he got up and walked to the men's room. Christine watched him go and wondered about his feelings toward her. He never did tell her he loved her, yet it seemed obvious that he did. He was going to introduce her to his parents…
How did she feel about him? She liked him very much, but she couldn't honestly say that she was even close to loving him. And she wasn't sure that meeting his parents at this point in time was a good idea. Then she thought about Erik, although there was really nothing to think about. Though he'd apologized to her, it didn't change anything. They could never be more than friends if he didn't believe in her.
Roan returned to the table a few minutes later and he seemed composed, but reticent. "I'm sorry about that," he murmured softly.
"Are you all right?" Christine asked, concerned.
"Yes, I'm all right. I've never been in this position before. I've never had to worry about having a girlfriend or having to fight for someone. But I feel like I do now, or you'll leave."
Christine put her hand on Roan's and felt the need to comfort him. "Roan, I really don't want you to worry about this. I just want us to continue to get to know each other better, and then see where it goes. If we're meant to be together, it'll work out, otherwise, it won't. And you have to understand that Erik's always going to be my friend, but he doesn't believe in me, and that's why we can't be any more than that. Do you understand?"
Roan nodded. "Yes, thank you. You just mean so much to me, Christine."
"You mean a lot to me, too, sweetheart, but I don't want to rush things, I just want it to unfold naturally, the way it's supposed to. Do you think it'd be okay if I postponed dinner with your parents? I'm very flattered that they'd like to meet me, but I just don't think it's the right time yet."
Roan smiled then. "Sure, babe, that'd be fine," and he kissed her.
